"Your old sweetheart is married! Do you know that?"
"Yes, mam, I called to see her this morning, and, would you believe it? she said I wasn't myself, and that Scherry Thompson (as if I were named arter sherry wine) were a deal handsomer man than ever I had been—ha! ha! ha!"
"That was scarcely polite of her, Mr. Thompson."
"Well, she didn't know me, for she spoke very kindly about me, evidently thinking of me as dead."
Thompson amused his friends by relating some of his adventures, and they enjoyed his company immensely, when about ten o'clock a servant brought in a card, and saying it was for the sailor gentleman, and a gentleman was waiting for an answer, tittered and retired from the room.
Jerry, who had just commenced a song, apologized to his friends, and perused the card, which ran thus:—
Captain Max Schwartz,
late
Hans Jacob Pferdscreptern,
Ship Chandler,
Licensed to sell Wine and Spirits wholesale and retail.
N. B. M. S. boards all the shipping upon their entrance into the harbour.
Having read the foregoing, Thompson glanced at his friends, who were laughing most immoderately, and observed,
"What does it mean?"
"Why, it's a visit from Max Schwartz," replied the lady, somewhat recovering from her merriment.